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A wave of news, analysis and demagoguery focused on the "fiscal cliff" and "Taxmageddon" already is starting to form and will crest over investors just prior to, and after, the Nov. 6 elections. The terms loosely refer to a looming jumble of tax-rate hikes, bracket adjustments, new levies, and mandatory program cuts set to take effect in 2013 mostly because the White House and Congress last year failed to reach a budget agreement. The main contributor to the quandary is the expiration of former President George W. Bush's tax cuts a decade ago. Reinstituting the old tax rates, together with the other changes, could push the country into recession.

We thought it would be a good time to suggest some Websites and blogs that could be helpful to investors in getting up to speed on and then tracking an issue that will provide lots of headlines–and acrimony–in the next few months.

For background on the specific areas like the payroll-tax cut that help form the cliff and many of the repercussions, the Council on Foreign Relations' "Renewing America" blog (cfr.org) has put together an excellent tutorial. It also includes a timeline of key dates into 2013. The story, "What Is the Fiscal Cliff?", by Jonathan Masters, is one of about a dozen blogs by the council, a 91-year-old Washington think tank.

IF YOU'RE INTERESTED in the macroeconomic effects, check out the Congressional Budget Office site (cbo.gov). Its updated outlook explains why we're likely for an economic stall if Congress doesn't take action.

Governmental indecision will complicate everyone's year-end decision-making on stock and property sales, retirement contributions, and estate planning. And, lacking the government's ability to borrow beyond their means, families' budgets will be hit hard next year, predicts Bruce Watson in the tax section of AOL's DailyFinance blog (dailyfinance.com). By his calculation, just the bracket adjustments as tax rates change will raise the levy on the "average" American family by $1,550 to almost $6,400. Watson has done a lot of the math on this subject.

Among the most comprehensive stories on what the various tax changes will mean for you came from The Wall Street Journal's Website, wsj.com (online.wsj.com), a sister publication of Barron's. Reporter Laura Saunders notes that the real action will come in the lame-duck congressional session after the Nov. 6 election. She offers advice on everything from capital gains to Roth IRA conversions in an uncertain environment. WSJ's coverage includes a multimedia package of Taxmageddon's myriad aspects.

Of course, these sites deal with the government's numbers. In truth, the federal budget is in even worse shape than it appears, says economist John Williams, founder of Shadow Government Statistics (shadowstats.com). If it had to account for "off budget" and unfunded liabilities like Medicare and Social Security the way businesses do using Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, the annual deficit would have been $5 trillion, not $1 trillion, in recent years, according to Williams. His consultancy for decades has provided what it regards as more accurate economic data to money funds and other businesses. Full access to his weekly commentaries with alternative econometrics costs $175 annually. But there's plenty of free content available like the "Hyperinflation Special Report 2012," which traces the origins of the budget crisis.

Another site offering "real" econometric data is Consumer Metrics Institute (consumermetricsinstitute.com), which collects consumer-demand information at point of purchase for several industries. It's made available to funds and individual investors while still fresh enough to be actionable, says founder Richard Davis. Annual subscriptions start at $95; but, again, voluminous free information is available.

Whether or not Congress figures out an effective way to turn back Taxmageddon, the consequences of crisis-driven fiscal policy and massaged economic data will continue to undermine investment returns, says Davis. Risk-averse investors already have a tough time keeping pace with inflation from low-yielding bank accounts and Treasuries. Random changes in tax rates and spending won't make anyone's life easier.